Ouachita Parish wide receiver Taijuan Thomas commits to Stanford

Stanford has been a silent player on the Louisiana recruiting scene for some time. The Cardinal built on that success Tuesday by receiving a commitment from Ouachita Parish senior receiver Taijuan Thomas. At 5 feet 11 and 185 pounds, Thomas likely will play as a slot receiver or cornerback on the next level.

Thomas chose Stanford over a top three that included Illinois and Northwestern. He also had offers from Arkansas State, Dartmouth, Houston, Southern Mississippi and Tulane.

"Tijuan embodies a complete student-athlete," Ouachita Parish Coach John Carr said. "He is a competitor in the classroom as well as the football field. Rarely will you find a kid that is a 4.0 student, that will be a valedictorian of his class and does what he does on the field.

"He understands what it is to be a leader. He just gets it. Whatever it is that people talk about, he has it. It is no surprise that a school like Stanford, with what they bring to the table as a university, would see what they are looking for in a kid like Taijuan. As a football player, he could play some receiver or even defensive back. He is very talented and is just the overall package."